


Stand Unshaken

by louisbumlinson



Category: Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fishing, Fluff, Gun Violence, Western, important, maybe? - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-08-29 19:20:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16750087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louisbumlinson/pseuds/louisbumlinson
Summary: Arthur has a gut feeling. You think he worries to much. Turns out...





	Stand Unshaken

**Author's Note:**

> Little pieces are taken from the game but I wouldn't say there's spoilers.  
> So I just had to contribute to this tag because I bloody love Arthur Morgan and RDR2! This is just something I put together without any real thought or purpose. Just something cute I hope. Didn't turn out quite as I wanted but what the hell, I suck at writing anyways so it probably won't get better than this lol.

It was a beautiful morning at Clemens Point. You sat on a log by the water and drank your morning coffee, enjoying the morning sun. To your right you saw Bill on the bridge trying to catch some fish, and to your left you saw Arthur cleaning his shotgun. You looked down at your own rifle and figured you should do the same. 

You walked up to Arthur and sat beside him by some rocks. “Mind if I sit?” You said. 

“Sure.” came the reply, without looking up at you. You sat down and retrieved the gun oil from your bag. 

“Aren’t you a ray of sunshine this fine morning.” You said sarcastically and looked at Arthur. “I would think I did something wrong last night but with the sounds coming from you, I think I did a pretty good job.” You said, smirking and started cleaning your own gun.

He stopped cleaning his gun with a sigh, he didn’t blush, but he did let out a tiny snort. “You did do some un-lady like things last night, and I certainly enjoyed them.” He said but still didn’t look at you, just forward onto the lake. 

“Then what’s the matter with you, why the sour face.” You said and couldn’t bear not having him looking at you, so you placed your hand on his stubbled cheek and turned his head towards you. He finally looked into your eyes and you could see concern in them. You gently caressed his cheek and he leaned into it. He turned his head and gave the inside of your hand a light kiss.

“I’m getting nervous about this place. There’s Lemoyne raiders all around and yet they haven’t found us? That thing with Sadie was too close to camp and yet no one came looking? I’m starting to get suspicious.” he confessed.

“Do you reckon the Lemoyne gang knows who we are though? As far as I know Dutch’s only encountered the O’Driscoll’s before. Maybe the Lemoyne’s just thought you were normal folks who knew how to handle a gun?” You knew Arthur had a habit of worrying more than often necessary but you also found it hard having him troubled over this. A sour Arthur is a no fun Arthur after all. 

“Maybe.” He just replied. His gaze shifted towards the lake again and you knew he would not let this thought go.  
“C’mon, let’s go hunting and get you mind of this for a while.” You packed the oil, placed the gun on your shoulder and stood up. You offered your hand to help him up.

“Alright, but I think I’m gonna talk to Dutch before we head out. You go ahead and prepare the horses.” He took your hand and got up. He squeezed your shoulder before he walked towards Dutch’s tent in the middle of camp. You followed him with your gaze for a bit and then walked over to the horses by the trees.  
Boki, your grullo dun mustang watched you walk over and waved her head at you when you were close enough. You smiled and gave her an apple before starting brushing her and making her ready for the ride. You also prepared Arthur’s dark grey Hungarian halfblood Woody so you wouldn’t have to wait for Arthur to prepare him when he came. He was taking an awfully long while you thought. You mounted Boki and turned towards camp to see if you could see Arthur. You saw him having a heated discussion with Dutch and their heated conversations usually don’t end well. After what felt like an eternity Arthur finally walked over to you and mounted Woody without a word. You didn’t say anything either and let him take the lead of out camp.

*****

You rode for hours without any words spoken. Even though Arthur didn’t like to admit it, you did know all his sides and you knew which fight was worth it and which were not, and this was not worth it at the moment. When evening fell you finally stopped to set up camp near a river. You shared some baked beans and bread rolls by the fire. Arthur were still in a sour mood and you just about had enough.

“So, are we gonna talk about it or are you gonna continue acting like a five-year old?” His eyes snapped up and looked at you fiercely. You knew exactly which words to use to rile him up.

“I’ll stop acting like a five-year old when you stop acting like my god damn mother!” he fired back. “Always nagging me about every damn thing, mind your own business woman!” 

Jesus, you thought. What did they talk about that got Arthur like this? You sighed and did not rise to his challenge. You two had a habit of spurring each other to the limit and throw out every word you could think of. The next word always hurt more than the previous. But this time it wasn’t anger you saw no Arthur was hurt. And when he’s hurt, he throws harsher words, gets a meaner stare and shut’s everyone out.

“Arthur, honey.” you said softly. He looked at you and you saw the fire in his eyes fade. He blinked and put his head in his hands.

“I’m sorry Y/N. The talk with Dutch didn’t lead anywhere. He says I worry to much and wouldn’t hear me out. Said I should go do something useful instead. I guess it’s just hard having to sit and wait it out.” He said and slowly met your gaze, all anger gone for now.

“I know you wanna head out there and find them before they find us, but I really think the best thing we can do right now is to lay low. What if them really don’t know who we are, and we come barging in unexpected? That would not be wise.” Nowadays you rarely agreed with Dutch, but you felt like this time he may be right, and the only right thing is to lie low.

Arthur just sighed and said nothing. He laid back on his back and looked up at the stars. “I just have this gut feeling.” he said after a while.  
You got up and went around the fire to lay beside him. You put your head on his chest and he put an arm around you. You pressed a kiss on his exposed chest where his shirt was open. 

“Let’s just sleep okay?” You said. He gave you a kiss on the forehead and squeezed you hard as a response.

*****

A few weeks passed, and nothing really changed at Clemens Point. You slept, went hunting, robbed a stagecoach here and there and hung out at camp. Everyone went on with their day. Javier took you with on a homestead robbery, you and Charles went hunting elk in the mountains and you played poker with Karen, Uncle and Ms. Grimshaw. 

One day you finally got some time to learn how to fish properly. You and Kieran went on a fishing trip not far from camp where he taught you how to use a lure correctly. Fishing weren’t really your thing, but Kieran were kind and had patience with you. As you were fishing, a naked man suddenly came swimming from the left. He didn’t see the two of you at first but when he did, he just said his greetings and kept on swimming.

“I understand now why you like this place so much.” You said and smirked at Kieran who blushed deeply at the comment.

“N-no, That’s not.. I-I-I mean.. I just.. Don’t tell anyone please.” He stammered. 

“Don’t worry babe, if I were you, I would be looking to. I ain’t judging no one.” You said with an amused smile. He looked relieved at that and relaxed. “Can I ask you something?”

“You just did” You winked at him. He blushed again. “I’m kidding, what do you wanna know?”

“How are things between you and Arthur? I couldn’t help but notice he’s been kinda sour lately and absent from camp for long periods of time.”  
You sighed. It’s true you and Arthur hadn’t been on best terms. You still slept together and went to bed together, but during the days he was absent until evening. He would come into camp, talk to Dutch, eat some stew and then go to your tent. You weren’t fighting, but you weren’t exactly talking either. Every time you tried to approach the subject of him being gone all day, he just turned in bed or started kissing you to shut you up or fucked you harder. So, you let it go until he’s ready to share.

“We’re alright Kieran. He’s just busy and got a lot on his mind. Don’t take anything he says personal.” Who knew what Arthur could spit out when in a foul mood.

“Alright, I’m just asking, no reason.” He said and looked away. You liked Kieran, he was a good kid on the wrong track. He reminded you of yourself from when you were young. Innocent and full of life. Now you feel more dead than alive some days, with nothing to live for if it weren’t for this gang. “You’re a good kid Kieran, you can always ask me things. No matter who or what it’s about.”

“Thank you, miss Y/N, I’ll remember that.” He smiled at you. The moment was ruined when Charles came riding towards you in a hurry.

 

“Y/N, Dutch need to speak with you. It’s urgent.” He was out of breath as if he’s been riding hard.  
“Sure, is he not in camp?” You said as you mounted Boki who stood a few metres away from the water. You hadn’t seen The Count for a few hours. When you thought about it you hadn’t seen Old Boy, Woody or Brown Jack. They must be out then. 

“No, he’s with Arthur and the others a ride from here.” Charles turned and started riding away so you followed him and Boki quickly matched Taima’s pace.  
“So, what’s this about?” You asked, riding through the trees onto the main road, taking left.

“We’re gonna hit a Lemoyne hideout and we need as many guns we can get.” Charles answered.  
“A hideout? Why?” That confused you. Just a few weeks ago Dutch almost fought Arthur bloody over this, whether to lie low or not. And now, suddenly Dutch changed his mind and they were going to hit a hideout? He was getting bold you thought, maybe reckless. But you were in no place to question him as he saved you all these years ago and had never led you wrong before Blackwater.

“Apparently there were talk about a huge amount of cash stacked somewhere in the camp. Enough to last us a long time and Dutch just couldn’t let this opportunity pass.”  
“Well, I’m always in if it means I get to rob some bastards who robbed some other bastard.” You smirked and thought nothing more of it as you followed Charles along the road.

*****

After a while you arrived on a hill overlooking a few cabins. On the hill were Dutch, Arthur and the whole gang. It looked like they were talking about how to approach the hideout.

“Ah, here she comes, our little golden star.” Dutch exclaimed. You rolled your eyes and dismounted Boki. 

“So, what’s the plan? How many are they? Where’s the money hidden?” You asked as you went to stand next to Arthur. He didn’t say anything to you, but his eyes said more than a thousand words, so you smiled at him. He was in a good mood. Ready to kill some Lemoyne raiders.

“Here’s what we’re gonna do. Arthur, Bill and Lenny are gonna scout ahead and kill of any guards. Stealthy as can be boys. When the guards are down, me, Micah, Y/N, Charles, Javier, Sean and John are gonna com in and we’re gonna give these boys a hella time. We have to spare one to tell us where the stash is hidden, very important.” Dutch explained. That sounded like a good plan, but you knew Bill and Arthur weren’t the most agile and stealthy men you had in the gang, but you chose not to question it. Agrees were heard in the circle and you all turned towards the cabins. 

“Arthur, Bill, Lenny go.” Dutch said. “Nice and easy, no sudden movements and no guns.” They all nodded, and Arthur gave your hand a quick squeeze before going down the hill with Bill and Lenny. The rest of you laid on the grass to take cover. 

You all followed them closely with your eyes. There were seven guards out scouting different parts of the land. They were mostly alone but there were a pair of them talking behind what looked like a shed. Lenny took out the guard furthest away from the cabins with a knife and Arthur took out another two guards. Bill took care of the three guards farthest to the left in the woods and so were it only the pair left. 

As of in slow-motion you saw the three of them crouch towards the guards. Like in slow-motion you also see out of the corner of your eye non-other than Colm O’Driscoll with an entourage come out from one of the cabins. At the same moment you saw at least ten O’Driscoll boys point their gun towards Arthur and the boys back. Why was everything going in slow-motion? What is happening? This wasn’t an O’Driscoll hideout. There were supposed to be Lemoyne raiders and only Lemoyne raiders. The O’Driscoll’s in the ambush said something out loud which made Arthur, Bill and Lenny put their guns and knives down and put their hands in the air. More people came out from the cabins. Many people. They would never stand a chance against two gangs. You frantically turned to Dutch for answers. Answers to what?

“Dutch.” You whispered. He turned to you. You saw the answer in his eyes, the one you didn’t want to hear. He let out a sigh and turned towards the others. You frantically shook your head.

“N-No please Dutch. We have to try.” You tug his arm, but he slowly rose to his feet. Down by the cabins you saw Arthur, Bill and Lenny on their knees with guns pointing at their heads. Tears started to form in your eyes. Was Dutch going to leave them to be shot? Executed? You couldn’t bear to lose Arthur. Not like this where you still could do something. Everyone else rose to their feet and walked towards the horses. 

You got up to but not to go to the horses. You walked the opposite way, down towards the cabins. You got about five meters before something grabbed you by the waist and started dragging you the opposite way. Charles. 

“Please Charles, I have to get to him.” You cried out. The love of your life was held at gunpoint and you weren’t there. There was nothing you could do.

“We need a plan.” Charles whispered in your ear. “We ain’t gonna leave them. Colm won’t execute them without trying to lure Dutch into a rescue mission.” You got to the horses where everyone was mounted except you and Charles. 

You walked over to The Count and placed your hand on Dutch’s leg. You looked up at him with tears in your eyes, threatening to fall.

“Please Dutch. We have to go down there.” He looked down at you without making any facial expressions. He didn’t say anything. “I’m begging ya Dutch. If not for Arthur, then do it for me. He means everything to me. I can’t live without him.” The tears started falling. You were pulling on his trousers. You were not above sinking to your knees and start begging at this point.

“My dear Y/N, we are outnumbered by a lot, it’s a fight we can’t win. Not right now.” He said and placed his hand over yours. “We have to come up with a plan and regroup.” He was firm, but you could hear the uncertainty in his voice. 

“I won’t leave him. Nothing means more to me than this gang, than him. He would die for you and you’ve always said you would die for everyone of us.” You waved around you towards the others. “Are you saying that was a lie? I’ve given you everything, I trust in you. Please, don’t make me leave him, I can’t handle it.” You could barely see through your tears. “Please.” You placed your head on his leg as you cried. You felt his hand in your hair, slowly patting you.

“She’s right Dutch.” You heard John say. “Arthur would happily die for anyone of us, except maybe Micah.” Micah let out a snort. “But he would go straight down there and at least try and rescue any of us. We have to try, and if we die, well then at least we go down fighting.” You could kiss John right now. You and John had known each other for years but haven’t really spoken much because Abigail didn’t like you talking to John very much, since she knew you had a crush on him when you joined the gang. You thought she were silly but respected her wishes. John were always kind to you despite that, and whenever you talked you had a great time. You also knew that John loved Arthur almost as much as you did.

Dutch looked around you, watched each and everyone in the gang before answering.  
“Well, what do you say boys. How about a rescue mission that will go down in the history books if goes well, and save those poor bastards down there?” He smirked at you and released your hair. 

You huffed a laugh and quickly mounted Boki. Everyone turned towards the cabins and loaded their guns. You loaded your rifle and made sure you had bullets in both your revolvers.

“For Arthur, for Bill and for Lenny!” Dutch shouted, and all of you started galloping down the hill towards the cabins. Down there were no sight of Colm or Lindsay Wofford, but enough O’Driscoll’s and Lemoyne raiders for everyone. Arthur and the rest had been tied to some trees and were currently being beaten by a few O’Driscoll’s. It seems like no one had expected the gang to turn up as they looked very surprised to see seven horses galloping at full speed down a hill with shouting gang members on them. You don’t know who shot first but the next moment the gun fight was starting. 

You dismounted while moving and Boki quickly ran towards the trees. Good you thought, one less problem to worry about. You hid with Javier behind a big wagon and you took down O’Driscoll after O’Driscoll, Lemoyne raider after Lemoyne raider. You slowly advanced towards some rocks when you got Arthur in sight. He was blue in the face and bleeding from the nose. That fuelled your anger and you screamed before you shout two Lemoyne raiders in the head. 

“Cover me!” You shouted at Javier. You didn’t wait for a reply before running out from hiding and towards your man. Men fell around you, but you kept running. You had to get to him. You shot someone in the back and finally you arrived at Arthur. You laid down your rifle and took his face in your hands and make him look up. He looked awful with the bruising and the blood, but he was still the most beautiful man you ever seen. He slowly opened his eyes and smiled faintly when he saw your face.

“Y/N.” he moaned. “You’re here.” He blinked slowly and coughed. 

You laughed wetly. “Of course I am silly, would never leave you.” You couldn’t help but kiss him right there. He moaned at the pain in his jaw but didn’t fight it. Instead your lips melted together, and you could breathe for the first time in what felt like days. Among all the gun sounds and shouting you found peace. Arthur were okay, and you were going to get him to safety.

Suddenly there were pain in your leg and you screamed before falling and landing hard. Arthur weakly called your name but all you could feel was pain. Someone grabbed your hair and made you stand up. You screamed in pain as you rose to your feet. It was Lindsey Wofford. He stood behind you facing the gang who had all made it to your relief. Lindsey had a choke hold on you and pointed a gun to your head.

“One step closer and I’ll shoot her.” He warned. You looked towards Dutch who slowly holstered his gun and raised his hands.

“No need to get violent Lindsey. You are the only man standing. What makes you think you have a chance?” Dutch said calmly. Blood pumped out of your leg and you started seeing black spots. You moaned in pain as Lindsey dragged you backwards, towards a horse.

“I am getting out of here Dutch Van der Linde, be so sure of that. I give you this sweet little thing and you will let me ride.” Lindsey said as he continued to slowly walk backwards. “You see, this is not the end of me, but if you’re not careful, it will be the end of her.” He pointed the gun harder against your head. You were getting lightheaded, from the blood loss but also from the chokehold he had on you. You arrived at the horse and he turned his head to smell your hair. 

“Mmm, she smells good, I understand why you keep her around.” He smirked, and you made a weak attempt to escape his hold. He chuckled at your small wiggling. “This is it Mr Van der Linde, I will get my revenge, and when I do I-“ A gunshot echoed and Lindsey fell to the ground, dead. You fell to your knees and looked to your left and saw Arthur with your rifle.

“I got tired of his constant talking.” He said before dropping the rifle and hurried over to you. 

The rest of the gang hurried towards you as well and they gathered around you. Arthur took you in his arms and hugged you close. Then he laid you down so Charles could look at your leg. You brought your hand to Arthur’s cheek and smiled before losing consciousness.

*****

You woke up on your bed. You slowly opened your eyes and looked at your surroundings. You saw Arthur sitting by the bed, holding your hand, fast asleep. You smiled and took a deep breath. You were alive, Arthur were alive. That thought made you all giddy inside and you couldn’t help but laugh. You both were alive like some sort of miracle. 

“What’s so funny?” You heard Arthur mumble. You turned and looked him in the eye. He was still blue in the face and had a broken lip, but he looked healthy. He smiled at you and squeezed your hand.

“Just happy to be alive is all.” You replied. 

“Me to.” He said. “Move over.” You complied and slowly moved so Arthur could lay on the bed. Your leg hurt like a bitch but that were not unexpected. You laid your head on his chest and he hugged you close. You laid in silence for a while, just enjoying each other’s presence. After a while Arthur spoke up. “I told you I had a gut feeling.” You huffed a laugh and playfully shoved at his chest.

“How was I supposed to know what the O’Driscoll’s and the Lemoyne raiders were plotting against us?” You looked up at him and stuck out your tongue. “But next time, I’m gonna trust your gut feeling.” He chuckled.

“You better.” He said and leaned down to give you a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT So can we talk about the fact that I thought Kieran were like 20 years old and it turns out he’s got grey strands of hair and grey beard? What the hell I feel betrayed lmao!!! I noticed this after writing this so that’s why in case someone got confused!


End file.
